Trading Floor Training

Photo by Rotman School of Management

Eight graduate and undergraduate students from Rensselaer’s Lally School of Management and Technology tested their skills in trading, financial analysis, and econometric modeling while participating in the third annual Rotman International Trading Competition at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management on Feb. 24-25.

The competition  which drew 152 participants from 36 schools throughout Canada, the United States, and Europe  challenged students to apply their trading knowledge in real-time simulations and a realistic environment.

“The trading floor competition is a wonderful illustration of experiential learning at its best,” says David Gautschi, dean of the Lally School.

“Our faculty leader, Professor Stephanie Rauterkus, has worked with the students to help them understand the intricacies of how trades are really made under the pressures of a real trading floor.”

A total of 38 teams participated in the competition, including MIT’s Sloan School of Management, Carnegie Mellon University, University of London, and Duke University, among others.

“In the classroom, we explain theories and teach students to use technology to solve practical problems. This type of competition gives [them] an opportunity to test what they’re learning in a new environment against students from other institutions,” says Rauterkus, clinical assistant professor in the Lally School. “This practical experience, competing with their peers, better prepares them to compete in the marketplace.”